by Henrik Tuxen
Festival season is up in Denmark and Europe. Already been to favorite up-coming SPOT in Aarhus and last weekend it's the quality 'talks, food and music' at Heartland, in beautiful surroundings with Egeskov Slot (Castle) as the visual centre. This was the fourth season of Heartland and my third. It's hard to beat my debut in 2017 when Eddie Vedder played, and I watched the entire show from the side of the show, standing next to a handful of people including Cat Power, Glen Hansard and Michael Stipe, with Eddie giving me a big, wet hug after the encore, saying 'Henrik, I love you', for then to run of stage and disappear. Although no Edved rendezvous this year, there was a great line up. Here's a little festival postgame from Heartland Festival.
The Playlist
Smashing Pumpkins: Perfect
Haven't seen my old favorites The Pumpkins in years, and now in a super strong 'old time' line up, including James Iha on guitar and Jimmy Chamberlain on drums, wow!! A band I've heard, seen and talked with many times. First interview was in Chicago april 1998, when this elegant track from Adore truly took the 'melancholy and the infinite sadness' in a more melodic and electronic direction. Perfect was a big radio-hit in Denmark.
Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers
Raconteurs would be my top pick of all the bands, line-ups or constellations Jack White has been involved in and with. Love the loose Beatles/Zeppelin/garage-rock style on the debut album Broken Boy Soldiers, with great tunes, trashy guitars, harmonies and a string of surprises. Was totally the soundtrack of my summer 2006. 13 years later I'll see my first show, yeah!!
Richard Aschroft: A song for the lovers
Following the demise of super successful The Verve, I talked with Aschroft face to face on his first two solo albums, one of the interviews taking place in a barn - reformed as a recording studio - at his private property somewhere in the outskirts of Birmingham. Truly a great, honest an enthusiastic guy with an amazing voice. Looking forward to this great track and good selection of Verve classics and solo material.
Primal Scream: Kill all hippies
Bobby Gillespie is bad ass. I've met him twice, and just quoted him on up-coming book on Kurt Cobain and punk rock, where his statements about old punks getting nostalgic and sentimental, talking about 'the good old days', is brutal and merciless. Primal Scream will forever be known for Screamadelica (1991) which brought acid house, techno, and rave culture into British mainstream, as with their many Stones inspired rock-hits. But a personal favorite is the absolute evil, terrifying and industrial XTRMNTR (2000) with this very direct opening track.
Minds of 99: Stjerner på himlen
This Danish bands is the story of a group of old musical school friends, now with kids, jobs and families, getting together in a summer house in 2014, recording some tracks, doing some acid, just for fun and for old times sake. Instead it turned out that they actually completed the master tape to their debut-album during this cosy get-together. Here a few years later they are pulling crowds, winning prices, and getting airplay like no other National act, with their intense and thought-provoking combination of beats, poetry and original hooklines, standing on the innovative shoulders of Depeche Mode, Talking Heads. Like I said to my girlfriend this morning, 'I wouldn't be surprised if this will be the gig of the festival.
Kris Kristoffersen: Convoy – C.W. McCall
I know the greatest sing along and crowd pleaser will be Me and Bobby McGee, and we'll probably won't hear a word of Convoy, but that's the track, film and atmosphere which always comes first to mind, when I think of this old charmer of a true american country rock, movie star. Heartland has a great traditions for picking some great old classics. Last year it was Van 'The Man' Morrison, in 2019 we'll be in the fine company of 'Rubber Duck', truly the trucker of all time.
The Good The Bad and The Queen: To the End - Blur
Damon Albarn is one of my all time favorites, and one of the international stars I've had the privilege to interview a number of times since 1997. I just did a radio programme series on old interviews, where one of the artists was Damon Albarn/Blur. I remember digging the first album from Good/Bad/Queen, but right now it's the beautiful and outstanding To the end by Blur which pops into mind
Tim Christensen: Whispering at the top of my lungs
Denmark's answer to Paul McCartney, who nevertheless has fully reunited with his melodic teenage grunge/rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Along with Volbeat the ultimate Danish festival headliner. On Heartland Tim will appear solo, and is advertised as 'Talk' not show. Hopefully we'll see a combination. Celine Dion and others has picked up Tim's songs. I've known and interviewed Tim on numerous occasions since the mid 90ies, and even shortly played with him in a cover band. Check out this amazing track from soloalbum Honeyburst from 2003, where you truly get a taste of this wunderkid's rage and capability.
Katinka: Du tænker ikke
Katinka has taken Denmark by storm as a deliberate female anti-hero, stipped of all instagram glossyness and perfection, but comes across as a powerful, honest and original frontwoman, standing with her ukulele, singing her strong, unpolished songs, about being a young female/human being today. Besides music, she has a deep understanding of litteratur and cultural history, which shines through as she screams her way through her everyday poetry about pain, pleasure, solitude, lust, or basically what it includes to be a living human being. I've known Katinka since before she reecorded her first record, and did four live talks with her in two weeks in 2017. A remarkable woman and a great and needed role model.
Steen Jørgensen: Siggimund blue – Sort Sol
One of the greatest voices and personalities out of Denmark for the past four decades. Had his debut with the legendary Sods', Minutes to Go from 1977, the first and most iconic Danish punk album. Later the band changed name to Sort Sol, and has enjoyed huge underground and later mainstream success, also abroad. This great track is from 1991, the year when Seattle bands otherwise made the headlines. In Copenhagen we blasted out Siggimund Blue and the entire album Flow my firetear.